Wayne Rooney insists he still has a future as an England player despite recent struggles

PFA boss Gordon Taylor: Players must remain on guard

PLAYERS’ union chief Gordon Taylor insists the rise of social media means footballers must be on guard when relaxing.
He said: “Hopefully lessons are learnt in regards to being mindful of relaxing in public with social media these days.”

The former midfielder also doubled up as skipper for club and country — and was nicknamed Captain Marvel during his heyday in the 1980s and early 90s.

“But when we went out, there was no social media, no phone cameras, nobody trying to drop us in it and make some money.
“Did Wayne get it wrong? Probably. But should he be made such a scapegoat? No.

“Wayne is a man’s man, that is for sure, but he is also a man who has given so much for England.

“He is no worse — and a whole lot better — as an athlete than we were when I was playing and the fact he is England’s record scorer is proof of that.”

Peter Barnes: Ron Greenwood wanted us to go for a drink!

PETER BARNES and his England team mates never had to sneak out for a pint.
His first Three Lions boss Ron Greenwood actively encouraged them to go for a drink at the start of international week.
Former Manchester City and West Brom winger Barnes, who won the first of his 22 caps under Greenwood in 1982 looks back in amazement about how relaxed things were then.
He says : “People are holding up their hands in horror over Wayne Rooney’s one boozy night and the fact that other players were out clubbing.
“So I can’t imagine what they would make of how it was under Ron.
“We would report to the West Lodge Park hotel in Barnet on a Sunday night before our home games.
“Once we were all gathered Ron would be like : ‘OK lads, off down the pub you go.
“ ‘Just make sure you’re all back by midnight.’
“And that was it. Ron would be sitting in the hotel lounge with a drink himself and we’d all jump in taxis and head for a little place called Southgate for the night.
“Once we found ourselves in the pub having a few pints, none of the locals batted an eyelid and nobody thought we were showing a bad attitude.
“To be fair we always did get back before twelve….but there would be a few that had quite a few!
“Yet there was no tut – tutting. It was just the way things were back then.”

Bryan Robson was known for his unquenchable spirit for both Utd and England

Gordon McQueen: Modern players are far better behaved

GORDON McQUEEN declares there is no longer a real drinking culture in English football.
And the Scotland, Leeds United and Manchester United star smiles as he declares : “Most of the guys playing now are lightweights.
“And the idea that Wayne Rooney and the England players are somehow bad lads is nonsense – they are so much better – behaved than when I was a player it is like night and day.”
McQueen, capped 30 times, coached Middlesbrough under Bryan Robson and Gareth Southgate for a total of almost ten years.
He admits : “Given the pressures of the game now – the number of games as well as the intensity – no player could drink the way we used to and get away with it.
“So these days there are no beer bellies and bow legs, that’s for sure but the public have no need to point the finger at Wayne Rooney even if he did step over the mark.
“I can pretty much tell you that he has never had the kind of routine we had back in the Seventies.
“We would head to the pub across from Elland Road straight after games when I was at Leeds and we would shoot off to places in Sale, Manchester, from Old Trafford.
“Sunday was always a good day for a drink and if we played in a Wednesday night we’d be out after the game and then have a bevvy on a Thursday.
“You look back now I wonder how you did it but we didn’t do so badly at Leeds – we went 29 games unbeaten when we won the league in 1974.
“The following year we lost 2 – 0 in the European Cup final to Bayern Munich – I was suspended.
“No question, Wayne and the rest of them could have handled themselves better by all accounts but believe me they lead a far cleaner life than we ever did.”